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Improve your life through movement : sport for mental health

Clara Noël – Sport and Citizenship – 19 May 2025

As part of the 2025 National Cause, France is placing mental health at the heart of its priorities, and physical activity is emerging as an essential lever for improving everyone’s psychological well-being.

The impact of the health crisis on mental health: an international challenge

The COVID-19 crisis has profoundly changed the way we interact, leading to isolation for many people. Health measures and restrictions imposed worldwide have weakened social ties, which are essential for maintaining good mental health.

Although an increase in mental health issues has been observed during the pandemic, these problems were already widespread among the general population before the crisis. In fact, 41% of French people say they have already been affected by mental health issues (depression, burnout, suicidal thoughts, etc.). Despite being recognised as a major public health issue, mental health remains a taboo subject in France, where 70% of the population continues to hold stereotypes about it[1]. Against this backdrop, the French government has decided to make this issue a priority for 2025.

A national mobilisation around mental health

In 2025, France designated mental health as a Great National Cause[2]. The aim is to raise public awareness of this issue and improve understanding and care for mental disorders. Each ministry is responsible for developing a specific roadmap, based on the national roadmap ‘Psychiatry and Mental Health 2018-2023’[3].

The priorities of this National Cause include four objectives:

  • Destigmatise mental health
  • Develop prevention and early detection
  • Improve access to care throughout the country
  • Supporting people in their daily lives.

The actions of the National Cause are detailed in a roadmap drawn up in 2018 and expanded in 2021, with a total of 51 actions and sub-actions. More than 3.3 billion euros has been mobilised for the implementation of these actions since its launch and until 2026.

This national mobilisation calls for the participation of multiple and complementary actors in order to advance the cause of mental health together. Sports actors are fully involved, as physical activity is a promising lever for strengthening mental well-being.

Physical activity, a powerful lever for mental health

Regular physical activity has clear benefits for mental health in addition to physical benefits. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it helps improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, increase self-esteem and generally promotes positive moods[4]. The physiological and hormonal mechanisms activated during exercise can have healing properties. Physical activity may even be prescribed alongside medication to treat psychiatric disorders and depression[5].

Physical activity also promotes social connection by strengthening the sense of belonging to a group, which is particularly beneficial in combating social isolation and preventing mental disorders, especially in older people. When properly tailored to an individual’s psychological profile, physical activity can prevent mental disorders and relapses and minimise their long-term negative effects. Athletes, on the other hand, have a specific profile where the relationship between sport and mental health needs to be approached differently. High-level sport can cause stress, anxiety and mental health issues, requiring appropriate support for athletes throughout their careers. Athletes are speaking out on this issue in the media, on television and even on the big screen in the documentary ‘STRoNG, aussi forts que fragiles’ (STRoNG, as strong as they are fragile), in which five top athletes share their experiences with mental health[6]. These stories, along with activities linked to the Great National Cause, are encouraging institutional and community stakeholders to take greater action on the issue of mental health.

When sport inspires action: towards a new approach to mental health

The Great  National Cause encompasses a wide range of initiatives across France. These initiatives are grouped together in the roadmap ‘Mental Health and Psychiatry’ launched in June 2018 and are currently being implemented. They include, for example, the creation of a website dedicated to mental health, training for carers and educators, and measures to improve access to the healthcare system, with a view to making everyday life easier for people suffering from mental health issues and those around them.

These national measures and the recognition of sport as a tool for mental health are encouraging those involved in mental health and sport to pool their expertise in the interests of prevention. For example, the French Psychiatric Association has adopted the theme ‘On the move for our mental health’ for Mental Health Awareness Week, which will be held in October 2024[7].

Sport and Citizenship is also getting involved in this initiative. Four years ago, our think tank, along with ten other sports and mental health stakeholders, participated in the development of the European project ‘INALHM’, supported by the European Union and led by the European network ‘Active Living and Mental Health’. This collaboration enabled the exchange of best practices and the development of guidelines to encourage the use of sport in mental health prevention measures[8]. We will continue these exchanges through future publications and events and will advocate for the recognition of sport as a lever for transformation in mental health.

For more information, to share your experiences or to collaborate on this topic, please contact us by email: contacts@sportetcitoyennete.com

 

[1] Française, M. (n.d.). Carnet de SANTE France. https://www.odoxa.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MF-Carnet-de-sante-2024_VDEFFINAL_WEB.pdf

[2] Parlons Santé Mentale ! Grande Cause Nationale 2025 | info.gouv.fr. (n.d.-a). https://www.info.gouv.fr/grand-dossier/parlons-sante-mentale 

[3]Feuille de route Santé mentale et psychiatrie. Comité stratégique de la santé mentale et de la psychiatrie. 28 juin 2018. (n.d.-a). https://sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/180628_-_dossier_de_presse_-_comite_strategie_sante_mentale.pdf

[4] World Health Organization. (n.d.). Activité physique. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity  

[5] Poirel E. Bienfaits psychologiques de l’activité physique pour la santé mentale optimale [Psychological benefits of physical activity for optimal mental health]. Sante Ment Que. 2017 Spring;42(1):147-164. French. PMID: 28792566.

[6] Française, M. (n.d.). Carnet de SANTE France. https://www.odoxa.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MF-Carnet-de-sante-2024_VDEFFINAL_WEB.pdf

[7] Les semaines d’information sur la santé mentale 2024 :  » en mouvement pour notre santé mentale « . Retour à la page d’accueil. (n.d.). https://www.iledefrance.ars.sante.fr/semaines-information-sante-mentale-2024

[8] Launch of the “inter-active living for mental health” project. Sport et citoyenneté. (2020, March 2). https://www.sportetcitoyennete.com/en/articles-en/launch-of-the-inter-active-living-for-mental-health-project 





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